Apparatus for drying moulds for the production of stereo printing plates



Nov. 12, i963 c. WILSON 3,110,575

APPARATUS FOR DRYING MOULDS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF STEREO PRINTING PLATES Filed June 2, 1959 United States Patent APPARATUS FOR DRYING MQULDS 1 0R '1 HE PRQDUCTIQN 0F STEREO PRINTING PLATES Christopher Wilson, 7 3 Ashgrove Ave, tlieadon Paris,

South Shields, England Filed June 2, 1959, Ser. No. 817,514

Claims priority, application Great Britain June 3, 1953 3 Claims. (Cl. 34144) This invention has for an object to provide an improved apparatus for drying and accurately shaping partcylindrical moulds, matrices or fiongs or papier-mache for the production of stereo plates for use in printing newspapers, magazines and the like.

The invention relates to apparatus comprising a part cylindrical former (that is, a former with two straight edges parallel to its axis and two part-circular edges transverse to said axis) having a smooth and accurately formed interior surface, a jacket space about the exterior of said former, a plurality of small apertures in the former to aiford communication from its interior surface to said jacket, means for creating a sub-atmospheric pressure in said jacket, and radiant heating means disposed within the interior of said former.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid kind wherein said former and said casing are immovably supported, and in which the upper of the end walls of the former has along the interior side of one of said transverse edges of the former a part-circu lar slot for axial insertion and extraction of a mould before and after drying, and tor the entry of air to the inner, concave side of said mould.

Preferably the former is cylindrical so as to be adapted for drying and shaping simultaneously two hemi-cylindrical moulds, with two diametrically opposed longitudinal fillets for locating the straight edges of the moulds.

The radial heating means may be electrical elements of the infra-red or of the black emitter resistance type, and may be suspended in annular disposition within the former.

An embodiment of the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus,

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the same,

FIG. 3 is a plan view, and

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on lines 4-4- of FIG. 2.

In the apparatus as illustrated, which is adapted for drying and shaping simultaneously two hemi-cylindrical moulds, two opposed hemi-cylindrical perforated formers 1 and 2 are mounted about a common vertical axis within a jacket space. The outer wall 3 of the casing enclosing said jacket space is oval in plan so as to provide two crescent-shaped extraction chambers 4 and 5 around the exteriors of the formers 1 and 2.. The tops of the chambers 4 and 5 are closed by a suitably formed horizontal plate 6, which has a central circular aperture 29", 3t corresponding to the interior of the formers 1 and 2. The bottoms of the chambers 4 and 5 are closed by a horizontal plate 47 having apertures through which said chambers are connected respectively by downwardly extending ducts 7, 8 each to one of a pair of suction fans 9, 10 jointly driven by an electric motor 11 through a belt drive 12. The belt drive 12 may be provided with selective clutches, for example magnetic clutches, whereby either of the fans 9 and 16 may be driven independently as desired.

Axially within the cylinder presented by the formers 1 and 2 is located a cylindrical bafile 13. An annular series of U-shaped radiant electric heating elements 14 is uniformly distributed around and close to the baffle 13. These elements may be suspended from the margin of a disc 49 which is supported by the baffle 13, the terminals at the upper ends of the elements being enclosed within a frusto-conical cover 15 divided into halves by a diametrical plate 116 having a hand hole 17 and essentially comprising two depending rectangular portions 45 which divide the annular space between the formers 1, 2 and the cylindrical baffle .13 into two equal parts. The outermargins of said rectangular portions serve for locating the vertically disposed straight edges of the moulds.

As shown, six of the heating elements 14 are provided in each half of said annular space, but any other suitable number of such elements, or any convenient alternative form of radiant heating means may be provided in similar location so as to afford substantially uniform heating around the entire semi-annular space embraced by each former. I

The apparatus is mounted upon and within a frame 18 having a top plate 48 which closes the lower end of the annular space between the formers 1, 2 and the bafile 13. Said frame also supports an instrument and control panel '19. Preferably the panel 19' carries separate switches for the two semi-circular groups of heating elements 14, the current leads for these elements being carried from the switches in the panel 19 to the upper ends of the elements by way of a channel 20 on the exterior of the jacket wall 3. The panel 19 also carries switch means for the motor 11 and suitable indicator lights, and when the drive 12 for the fans comprises magnetic clutches as above-mentioned, the panel also carries a selector switch for such clutches. Further, the panel advantageously carries a timing device for cutting off the current supply to either of the semi-circular groups of heating elements -14 at a pre-set time, when it is calculated that a wet mould inserted in the apparatus has been properly dried and shaped.

In order that the apparatus may be employed to dry a single mould against the interior of either of the formers 1 or 2, or alternatively to dry two such moulds simultaneously, there are provided, at the junctions at the ducts 7 and 8 with the chambers 4 and 5, closure dampers 21, 22 operable by shafts 23, 24 extending to handles Z5, 26 mounted by means of quadrant plates '27, 28 upon the frame 18. In FIG. 1 the damper 21 is shown open, and the damper 22, closed.

It will be understood that between the inner, upper edges of the formers 1 and 2, and the circular edge of the frusto-conical cover 15 the apparatus provides an upwardly open annular slot divided into two semi-circular halves 29, '30 by the plate 16-, each for the reception of a hemi-cylindrical wet mould, matrix or fiong of papier mache for the production of a stereo plate as used in the printing of newspapers, magazines and the like.

In the use of the apparatus, assuming such a mould has been inserted in the slot Q9, approximately in contact with the inner surface of the hemi-cylindrical former 1, the damper 21 being open, on the motor 11 being started the suction fan 9 draws air by way of the duct 7 from the extraction chamber 4, and into that chamber from slot '29, through thewet mould and through the perforations in the former 1. At the same time, the semi-circular series of heating elements 1-4 opposed to the former 1 being switched on, the mould is heated and its moisture content thereby converted to steam which is extracted through the perforations of the former 1 by the fan 9, until the mould is satisfactorily dried and shaped by being drawn into contact with the interior surface of the former, when the current supply to the heating elements 14 is automatically switched off by the timing device.

In order to facilitate removal of the dry moulds from the apparatus, there are provided below the bottom of er each of the semi-annular slots 29 and '30 respectively shafts 31, 32 mounted in lugs 33 below the top of the frame 13, the axis of each shaft being parallel to a chord of the semi-circular horizontal trace of tile adjacent former. Mounted on these shafts are eccentrics 34 engaged by vertically displaceabile followers 35 which engage the lower edge of the dried mould in the correspond ing slot 29 or 30 to lift it when the eccentrics 34 are turned by means of exterior handles '36 and so eject the upper part of each dried mould from the slot 29 or 39 whereby it can be manually grasped for removal from the apparatus.

As illustrated in the drawings, the apparatus comprises two identical and symmetrical halves. It will be appreciated that a modified apparatus according to the invention may comprise a single semi-circular former with a diametrical closing wall and one crescent form extraction chamber if desired, for drying one mould at a time.

he invention evidently provides an improved drying apparatus wherein moulds or matrices or flongs of papiermache for the production of stereo printing plates can be dried rapidly and in complete safety so that the dried moulds are accurately bend-cylindrical and serve to produce plates which are readily securable in the printing press.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for drying and shaping part cylindrical moulds of papier-mache, of the kind comprising two opposed hemi-cylindrical formers with semi-circular upper and lower edges and juxtaposed with their vertical edges defining a common diametrical vertical plane, a casing enclosing a jacket space about the convex exteriors of said formers, said casing comprising a curved wall extending around said formers about and spaced from said exterior thereof, a pair of diametrical walls joining the coaxial edges of the casing and former, and end walls perpendicular to said curved wall and conjoined to the part-circular transverse edges or" said formers and the semi-circular edges of said curved wall to close said jacket space, radiant heating means disposed in the space within the concave interiors of said formers, a plurality of small apertures in each of said formers to afford communication from its interior surface to said jacket space, means drawing air through either of said formers and a mould supported thereby into said jacket space wherein said formers and said casing are immovably supported, a cylindrical baffie is disposed concentrically within said formers, two flat longitudinal elements disposed in said diametrical plane to separate two halves of the cylindrical annulus defined by said formers and said bafiie, and a circular slot is provided in one of said end walls along the interior sides of one of the conjoined semicircular transverse edges of each of said formers, said slot being separated by said longitudinal elements into two semicircular halves each for axial insertion and extraction of a mould before and after drying, and for the entry of air to the inner, concave side of said mould.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, having said fonmers located on a vertical axis, and closely below each former cam means comprising a shaft tu-rnable on an axis which is parallel to the diameter of and intersects at two spaced locations when projected thereon, the semi-circular horizontal trace of said former, cams on said shaft, at said spaced locations, and cam follower means engaged by said cams to be raised thereby and disposed for partially ejecting a dried mould from the former.

3. An apparatus for drying and shaping part cylindrical moulds of papier-mache, of the kind comprising a hemicylindrical former with semicircular upper and lower edges, a casing enclosing a jacket space about the convex exterior of said former, said casing comprising a curved wall extending from the diametrical plane of the straight edges of said former about and spaced from said exterior thereof, a wall comprising a hemi-cylindrical middle part opposed to the concave interior of said former and two lateral, rectangular portions extending in said diametrical plane and connecting the hemi-cylindrical part to the casing and former from top to bottom, end walls perpendicular to said opposed wall and abutting the semi-circular transverse edges of said former and the co-planar edges of said curved wall to close said jacket space, radiant heating means disposed in the space between the concave interior of said former and said herni-cylindrical part, a plurality of small apertures in said former, to adford communication from its interior surface to said jacket space, and means drawing air through said former and a mould supported by the surface of the concave interior thereof into said jacket space, said former and said casing being immovably supported and one of said end walls having along the interior side of the semicircular transverse edge of the former a semi-circular opening for axial insertion and extraction of a mould before and after drying, and for the entry of air to the inner, concave side of said mould, said former being located on a vertical axis, a cam shaft turnable on an axis closely below the former which is parallel to the diameter of and intersects at two spaced locations when projected thereon the semi-circular horizontal trace of said former, cams on said shaft at said spaced locations, and cam follower means engaged by said cams to be raised thereby and disposed for partially ejecting a dried mould from the former.

References (Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,931,749 Bigsby Oct. 24, 1933 1,960,697 Cochran et al. May 29, 1934 2,618,073 ZFinzer Nov. 18, 1952 2,653,394 Nelson et a1. Sept. 29, 1953 2,708,318 Frazee et al. May 17, 1955 2,728,147 Imshaug Dec. 27, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,106,514 France Dec. 20, 1958 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND SHAPING PART CYLINDRICAL MOULDS OF PAPIER-MACHE, OF THE KIND COMPRISING TWO OPPOSED HEMI-CYLINDRICAL FORMERS WITHSEMI-CIRCULAR UPPER AND LOWER EDGES AND JUXTAPOSED WITH THEIR VERTICAL EDGES DEFINING A COMMON DIAMETRICAL VERTICAL PLANE, A CASING ENCLOSING A JACKET SPACE ABOUT THE CONVEX EXTERIORS OF SAID FORMERS, SAID CASING COMRPISING A CURVED WALL EXTENDING AROUND SAID FORMERS ABOUT AND SPACED FROM SAID EXTERIOR THEREOF, A PAIR OF DIAMETRICAL WALLS JOINING THE COAXIAL EDGES OF THE CASING AND FORMER, AND END WALLS PERPENDIUCLAR TO SAID CURVED WALL AND CONJOINED TO THE PART-CIRCULAR TRANSVERSE EDGES OF SAID FORMERS AND THE SEMI-CIRCULAR EDGES OF SAID CURVED WALL TO CLOSE SAID JACKET SPACE, RADIANT HEATING MEANS DISPOSED IN THE SPACE WITHIN THE CONCAVE INTERIORS OF SAID FORMERS, A PLURALITY OF SMALL APERTURES IN EACH OF SAID FORMERS TO AFFORD COMMUNICATION FROM ITS INTERIOR SURFACE TO SAID JACKET SPACE, MEANS DRAWING AIR THROUGH EITHER OF SAID FORMERS AND A MOULD SUPPORTED THEREBY INTO SAID JACET SPACE WHEREIN SAID FORMERS AND SAID CASING ARE IMMOVABLY SUPPORTED, A CYLINDRICAL BAFFLE IS DISPOSED CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID FORMERS,TWO FLAT LONGITUDINAL ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN SAID DIAMETRICAL PLANE TO SEPARATE TWO HALVES OF THE CYLINDRICAL ANNULUS DEFINED BY SAID FORMERS AND SAID BAFFLE, AND A CIRCULAR SLOT IS PROVEIDED IN ONE OF SAID END WALLS ALONG THE INTERIOR SIDES OF ONE OF THE CONJOINED SEMICIRCULAR TRANSVERSE EDGES OF EACH OF SAID FORMERS, SAID SLOT BEING SEPARATED BY SAID LONGITUDINAL ELEMENTS INTO TWO SEMICIRCULAR HALVES EACH FOR AXIAL INSERTION AND EXTRACTIONS OF A MOULD BEFORE AND AFTER DRYING, AND FOR THE ENTRY OF AIR TO THE INNER, CONCAVE SIDE OF SAID MOULD. 